Broken Promises
by C.G. Parker
Summary: Case File. Chapter 5 is up. last chapter the next story in this series is coming soon!
1. Default Chapter

(Disclaimer : These characters are owned by Dick Wolf and NBC. No infringement intended.) *Author's Note* Sorry it's taken so long for me to post this. I can't seem to get the flow just right, bear with me here. The first couple of chapter's may be a little choppy. Thanks!  
  
Previously in The Very Thought Of You 9  
  
Olivia approached the nurses desk "Do you have something I can write on?" the nurse gave her a clipboard with several sheets of paper and a pen. Olivia smiled a thank you. And sat down next to Kathy's door. She let all of the thoughts and feeling that had been building up for the last 6 years out onto the pages. When she was done she folded it up and went back to the nurses station. She addressed it , Elliot , and clipped her badge to it. "When Detective Stabler wakes up can you please see that he gets this." The nurse nodded and took the note from her. "Also the extra security measures we put in place will no longer be needed." And before she could change her mind she walked out of the hospital and into the night.  
  
6 Months Later.........  
  
Broken Promises 1  
  
Grand Jury Room 4 Seeking Indictment of Olivia Benson In the death of Richard White Charge : Murder 1st Degree 9:35 A. M.  
  
As Casey Novak Stood at the podium questioning Detective Stabler she knew her career was over. Her bosses had made it clear that she had no choice in seeking the indictment against Olivia, Because "Police officer's should be held to a higher standard." BULL SHIT!! She knew this was nothing more than politics. With everyone scrambling to cover their asses, from the prison hospital who let him escape to Internal Affairs. IAB had been looking for an excuse to get rid of Olivia. Cragen and Elliot too, it seemed would also be going down if they had their way.  
Although Elliot was answering her question as politely as he could. She could see the hatred in his eyes pointed at her. She thought she had come out from behind Alexandra Cabot's shadow. They seemed to respect her and had even invited her to O' Maley's with them to celebrate a couple of times. Now they hated her. Not that she blamed them. She hated herself too for not standing up to her bosses. She wondered briefly what Cabot would have done. Probably would've told the higher up's to kiss her ass and then quite. Not a bad idea. She just might do just that.  
  
"Detective Stabler, When did you first know your partner had left the hospital to meet Richard White?"  
"approximately 6 hrs. after my wife had been admitted. The nurse informed me that some flowers had been delivered. I knew that they were from White. It was his signature to send roses to his victims."  
"Was there a card?"  
"No. Just an envelop."  
"Was the envelop empty?"  
"No......  
  
Elliot approached the nurses desk. "I'm going upstairs to check on my partner and kids. If anything happens.." "Oh, Your partner was here she left you this." the nurse said handing him the letter with Olivia's badge attached to it. " And these came for your wife ."She set a box of long stemmed roses in front of him. He had a pretty good idea who they were from. He carefully retrieved the little envelop containing the card. Making sure not to touch the thorns, remembering Liv's misfortune. He opened the envelop but instead of a card he found a lock of reddish/brown hair. Olivia's hair. He stared at it a moment then looked back at the letter. What she had done hit him. "Oh, God."  
  
"What happened next?"  
"I informed my Captain that White had Olivia."  
  
Elliot bypassed the elevator and took the stairs two at a time. He arrived on the fourth floor in record time. He walked straight up to Cragen , took him by the front of his shirt and threw him against the wall hard. " Damm you to hell! How could you let her do this!" Munch and Fin pulled Elliot away. "What ?!" "White's got her!" Elliot screamed. "Not for long, and if he so much as harms a hair on her head." Fin said reassuringly. Elliot laughed "To late." He threw the envelop at Cragen who caught it and looked inside. Spilling the contents into his hand he looked at Elliot in horror. The kids stood in the door way in tears having heard their father's news. Munch tried to talk to him. "Elliot we couldn't stop her." "What?!" He shook himself from their grasp. "You couldn't handcuff her to something? You are cops, right?!" "Elliot," Cragen said as he approached him. " She told us she wouldn't leave without..." Don't you dare put this on her! You were supposed to watch over her." His voice broke with emotion. "You're her Captain, what's more, she thought of you as a father. What father lets his daughter sacrifice herself to the devil." He looked at Cragen with disgust. " Whatever happens to her now, is on your head." Everyone was silent as Elliot gathered up his kids and walked away. 


	2. Chapter 2

(Disclaimer in part one. Sorry for the late update folks .I got hit with the Flu not once but twice. And since I still have a little fever this chapter is kinda short but the next should be better with the discovery of White's body and Olivia's return. Please forgive. Thanks.)  
  
Broken Promises 2  
  
Grand Jury Room 4 10:45 A. M.  
  
"Did you receive anything else from Richard White during the 45 days your partner was missing?"Casey Novak asked hesitantly.  
"Yes. 10 days into her disappearance I received a call from DR. Warner our M .E.....  
  
*Flashback* Elliot broke every traffic law in the book getting to the morgue. When he got there Cragen, Munch and Fin had already arrived. They were waiting at the viewing window for him. He walked past them and into the autopsy room. Warner blocked his path. "You don't want to see her." He swallowed hard."Then it's Liv, for sure?" "We won't know until the DNA test comes back." He looked at her puzzled. "But what about finger prints, her face?" Warner shook her head sadly. "She doesn't have a face anymore, or finger prints. Actually she doesn't have any hands below the wrist." Elliot closed his eyes in an effort to make the room stop spinning. "I want to see her." Warner started shaking her head "This shouldn't be your last image of her you see. If it is her I mean." "Please I can't wait a month for DNA. What I've seen in my dreams are far worse than anything under this sheet." She gave in and reached to pull back the sheet. "No. I will." He stared intently at the body before him. Looking for some kind of sign and finding none. Long ago he had memorized her face. Staring at her from across their desks. He knew her hands. How they felt. If he could only... "Can we flip her." Warner looked at him surprised. "Ah, yeah." She called to her assistant and together they started to turn her as Elliot watched. "Stop right there." He said as the back came into view. It was all he needed to see."It's not Olivia!" "How do you .." "Olivia's back is all scratched up from when White dragged her across the pavement. There's not a mark on this girl's back. It's not her." He looked at the expectant faces in the window he shook his head no and smiled . He turned back to Warner. "Thank you. By the way other than the general description why did you think this was Liv?" "The rape kit came back positive for fluids. And a Match to Richard White."  
  
"8 days later we received another body virtually identical. Cause of death in both cases was a gun shot wound to the head. The ballistics report also identified the bullets as coming from Olivia's gun."He looked at Novak daring her to suggest that Liv had anything to do with the deaths of those girls.  
"I see." Casey said as she looked through her notes.  
"I doubt it." Elliot threw back at her in obvious disgust. Casey tried to ignore his open hostility. Didn't he realize that if she hadn't agreed to do this. They would have gotten someone else. Someone who only cared about winning and not about Olivia. Didn't he see that she was trying to loose without looking too obvious while doing it.  
"Now in an earlier statement you mentioned an audio tape."Casey asked  
"Yes . My wife came home after about a week in the hospital. And the tape was there waiting for me."Elliot's voiced cracked a little when he mentioned his wife.  
"Could you please tell us what was on the tape and where it is now?"Casey asked quietly.  
"The tape was of my wife Kathy being beaten and raped by White. My wife destroyed it When she heard his voice" He hoped that was enough of an explanation. It wasn't.  
"Could you elaborate?"  
"Look I don't remember what was said on the tape. All I heard was my wife's voice screaming for help and the sound of White hitting her. Kathy walked in on me listening to it and when I tried to talk to her about it, she lost it. She took the cassette and destroyed it with a hammer then she tried to kill herself."  
  
*flashback* He was lying. Not about Kathy's suicide attempt, but about what was on the tape. White had recorded the conversation he had with Kathy at the station house, in the car and the hotel room. Elliot now knew that she had gone there willingly to have an affair. And to think she had called Olivia a whore. He had been the one to loose it. Kathy had walked in on him listening to the tape. She pleaded with him to understand but he couldn't. There had been times when he had been tempted, especially with Olivia, to cheat, but he had never done it. "In the 20 years we've been married I have never even kissed another woman and then I hear this! I can hear you moaning, your panting for Christ's sake! You disgust me! If it wasn't for the kids I'd...." That's when she had gone into the kitchen and come back with a hammer. She had raised it above her head and brought it down hard onto the tape player. Then threw it at his feet and brought out the butcher knife she had stuck in her back pocket. She drew the sharp blade across her wrist before Elliot could stop her. She was about to cut her neck when she heard her youngest daughter scream. "Mommy NO!" Elliot took advantage of Kathy distraction and wrestled the knife away and told his daughter to cal 911. He loosed his tie and removed it from around his neck, putting the loop around her wrist and tightening it to stop the flow of blood. "Kathy, I'm sorry." he said softly, but she refused to look at him. Not so much angry at him but at herself. How had their lives gotten so far out of control.  
  
"She was taken to Bellview. She came home about 3 weeks later." Elliot spoke quietly.  
"That was about the same time Richard White's body was discovered, is that correct?"  
"Yes, about 37 days after Olivia disappeared got another call from our ME..." 


	3. Chapter 3

(Disclaimer in part one. Sorry for the lack of update. I 've had a major case of writer's block. Hopefully I can get out a couple more chapters by next Friday. Thank you all for your support.)  
  
Broken Promises 3  
  
Gand Jury Room 4  
"37 days into Olivia's disappearance I got another call from our M.E."  
  
*flashback* Munch drove Elliot to the morgue. Elliot now understood why Fin always drove. He thought for sure that they were going to wind up on the slab instead of standing next to it. "Do you even have a licence?" Elliot asked as they finally pulled into the parking lot. Munch gave him a look "Your joking right?" Elliot was saved from answering by Warner who met them at the door. "You've got to see this!" She pulled back the sheet to revel the face of Richard White. Munch and Elliot were grinning from ear to ear. Munch patted Elliot on the back. Elliot's smile however was already fading. "White's lying here dead, so where's Liv?" "I don't know where she is now but I do know she was present at the time of his death." Warner pulled the sheet further back to expose White's chest. Carved there were the numbers 357016. "Unless I'm mistaken that's Olivia's badge number."Warner said as she threw the sheet back over him. "That's not all I found."  
  
Grand Jury Room 4 1:05 P. M.  
Casey Novak had finished with Elliot Stabler before lunch and was now about to question Warner. This would be easier. It was going to be just the cold facts of White's death.  
"Could you please tell us your findings in the death of Richard White."  
"C.O.D. was asphyxiation. We found a rope around his neck. It had two type of DNA. One was the White's the other Detective Benson's."Warner sais simply  
"Why would Olivia's DNA be on the rope?"  
"Because before it was around White's neck it was around her's. And from the amount of blood and skin I would say that White used it as her primary restraint."  
"Was there anything else about the body that was significant."  
"There was saliva on his face ,vaginal fluids on his penis both belonging to Detective Benson. Also her badge number was carved on his chest post mortem with what I believe to be a paring knife."Warner hated saying this. She was afraid it made Liv look bad.  
"Could you give us a scenario of White's death which would explain the forensic evidence?"  
"I believe that White got sloppy. That while he was raping her she managed to get the upper hand and slip the rope around his neck and strangle him. As for the numbers in his chest the depth was minimal, using just the tip of the knife. Almost like writing with a pen. And she did it after he was dead."  
"Thank you . That will be all for now." Casey said as Warner left the stand. She took a deep breath as Olivia Benson entered the courtroom, swore to tell the truth and took the stand. Casey hadn't seen her since the night she had first come home. When Cragen had called her in so Liv could give her formal statement. That night it had been obvious just looking at her that she had been through hell. In the 45 days that she had been missing she had lost at least 25 or 30 pounds. Which Casey was sure put her under 100 pounds in total weight. Her weight wasn't the biggest change or the most dramatic. She spoke slowly and quietly not looking at anyone directly just staring at her hands on the table in front of her as she talked. That had especially disturbed Casey. The one thing about Olivia that stood out the moment you meet her was her eyes. When she looked directly into you, her eyes searching your face. You immediately saw the intelligence behind their beautiful brown color. Now 4 months later. Though she had gained maybe 10 pounds back Olivia was still extremely under weight. She was also still looking at her hands.  
"I'll try to make this as quick as possible." Casey got no response and for the second time that day she thought about quitting. How was she going to do this?  
"Olivia could you please tell us what happened the day White died?" 


	4. Chapter 4

(Disclaimer in part one. Please bear with me for just a couple more chapters with the flashbacks (which are giving me whiplash) and then we will be back in the present. I promise.)  
  
Broken Promises 4  
  
Gand Jury Room 4  
  
"Olivia could you please tell us what happened the day White died." Novak asked gently.  
  
*flashback* Olivia was sitting up in bed. Her arms at her sides. Her wrists tied with rope that attached her to the headboard, giving her very little range of motion. Not that she had the energy to move. White sat down next to her with a bowl of soup. He blew on a spoonful of steaming liquid to cool it down and pushed the spoon past her lips into her mouth. She tried to swallow and failed. Instead she began to choke and gag. White wasn't surprised, she hadn't been able to eat for the last 3 days. He sat the bowl down on the night stand. He felt a sudden pang of guilt and lashed out backhanding her across the face."You bitch! I decide if you live or die, not you!" Olivia didn't scream in pain like she had in the past. She simply looked at him. He couldn't stand her silence anymore. He removed the belt from around his waist and brought it down hard across her thighs. Nothing, she didn't even flinch. White through the belt across the room in frustration. "Fine! I know one way to make you scream." He took the knife from his back pocket as he removed his pants. He pulled her down so that she was lying flat on the bed, putting the knife against her throat. He pulled up her nightgown and pushed himself into her with brutal force. When he got no reaction, he pressed the point of the knife into her already raw throat drawing blood. Olivia didn't scream or beg, just looked into his eyes. It was that look that finally broke him. He threw the knife away and grabbed her face with his hands shaking her screaming. "I hate you!" Even as he said it he knew it wasn't true. If he truly hated her he wouldn't be feeling guilty. He wouldn't feel anything at all. He suddenly burst into tears with the knowledge that he did feel something for her. Damm her!  
  
White whispered into Olivia's ear. "I'm sorry." "SORRY!!!!" Olivia snapped out of the daze she had been in. Somewhere inside her she heard a voice scream at her NOW!!! Her hands were still tied but he had forgotten to put the rope around her neck. She searched above her head for it, finding it, she enlarged the loop to fit it over his head. He was too busy crying to notice her slip it around his neck.  
  
White had been sobbing next to her ear when from nowhere he whispered into her ear that he was sorry. What was he thinking she would never believe that. How could she possibly forgive him. But for a man in love there was always hope and that's what he thought she was doing when he felt her hand brush his cheek. Through his blurry vision and crazed mind he didn't notice the rope slip around his neck. He did notice her legs suddenly wrap around his waist tightly. In his final moments White thought that perhaps....  
  
Olivia saw White smile down at her as she wrapped her legs around him. She smiled back but not for the reasons he was thinking. With her legs around him she twisted with all her might, flipping him on his back.  
  
White was taken by surprise. He was suddenly on his back with her above him. He tried to sit up and gasped for air as the rope become tight around his throat. He tried to remove it but couldn't use his arms. He struggled for breath.  
  
Once he was on his back she knew she had to act quickly. Her wrists were still bound to the headboard but now so was he, by his neck. She quickly startled his chest and pinned his arms to his sides with her legs. She watched him as he struggled beneath her and prayed .  
  
Richard White was dead.  
  
Olivia pulled hard on the thumb of her right hand. Finally feeling it dislocate she slipped the rope off her wrist. One hand free .She set her thumb back into place with snap and untied the rope from her other wrist.  
  
She was free.  
  
Olivia was hit by a wave of exhaustion, but she couldn't rest, not yet. She cut White free of the bed grabbed him by his feet and dragged him off the bed, out of the room and out into the alley. She laid him out next to the trash not caring if anyone saw her or him. She looked down at him, as he lay amongst the garbage, she took the knife he had used on her and wrote her badge number on his chest with the tip. That way when he was found they would know she was alive. That thought filled her with a sudden hatred and she spit in his face. Good riddance to bad rubbish. She went back inside. Looking around the room she saw her coat and put in on over her nightgown. She also spotted the bag in which he had kept all of his money. Olivia grabbed it and her gun off the bureau. Seeing as there wasn't a phone she walked out the door past White's body in the alley and into the night. 


	5. chapter 5

(Disclaimer in part one. This is the final chapter for Broken Promises. The next story in this series will be called Want And Need. And I hope it will be much improved . Thank you all for sticking with me on this. You will be rewarded! I promise!)  
  
Broken Promises 5  
  
"After you left White in the alley where did you go?"  
"The hospital. I stayed for a week then came home."  
"Could you please tell us the extent of your injuries?"  
"Why, you have the medical reports? It's self explanatory."  
"Yes, I do have the report and it states clearly that you were repeatedly raped and beaten. There are just a couple of things I need clarification on. The report states that you no longer have a gag reflex. Is that due to forced oral sex?"  
"No. He didn't trust me enough. He was afraid I would bite him. He took my gun and forced it into my mouth to the back of my throat repeatedly. Because of that I have to learn how to eat solid food again without choking. Right now I'm on a mostly liquid diet which is why I'm 10 to 15 pounds underweight."  
"The report also stated that upon admission that you were pregnant. Are you still?"  
"No. They discovered that it was a Fallopian Tube pregnancy and  
they had to remove it. They also informed me that I would have had a  
miscarriage anyway because of the damage. Since then I've had to have  
a hysterectomy. So I can no longer have children."  
"I'm so sorry Olivia. I only have a couple more questions and then we'll be done."  
"When you were released from the hospital were, did you go?"  
"I went directly to the 16th precinct, where I gave my statement to Captain Cragen."  
  
*flashback* Captain Donald Cragen sat behind the desk in his office at the 16th. He poured vodka into a shot glass and whipped the tears from his face. It had been 10 years since his last drink. He had promised his wife that he would never drink again and even after her death he had kept his word. Now he was breaking it. He had never before felt such guilt. Elliot had been right. It was his fault that Olivia had fallen into White's hands. He was her Captain, more then that he was her friend. And he loved her like she was his own daughter. Marge would have adored her and he could just see the disappointment in his wife's face. That and the images of what Olivia must have gone through at White's hands had brought him here. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his office door open. Cragen brought the clear liquid up to his lips. "I thought you didn't drink." He froze. I know that voice. His vision was blurry from crying and he could quite make out who was standing at the door. Olivia moved around the desk, taking the shot glass from his hands and moving the bottle behind her as she sat on the desk in front of him, putting herself between him and the vodka. With free hands he whipped his eyes' clear and looked at her. "Olivia?" Was all he managed to choke out before jumping out of his chair to pull her into a hug. She jumped a little in surprise but put her arms around him tightly breathing in his scent. She let out a small laugh and he pulled back looking at her strangely. He was wearing the cologne she had gotten him for Christmas, subtle and expensive, and if she was mistaken they had run out of his red twizlers because she could smell licorice on his breath. He must be eating the black ones. Better that then the vodka. God it was good to be home. "I missed you" was all she could say. The door to his office opened suddenly startling them both. At first glance Fin thought he had walked in on Cragen getting busy with someone, as he turned to walk out he suddenly recognized who Cragen had his arms around."Oh my God! Munch!" He hollered back into the bullpen. "Get your skinny ass in here." To Olivia he said. "Welcome home baby." Taking her into his arms, he practically hugged the life out of her. Her ribs protested a little but she ignored it. She was just so happy. She looked over Fin's shoulder to see Munch was waiting patiently for his turn. She pulled out of Fin embrace and fell into Munch's waiting arms. He wrapped his arms gently around her and kissed her check. She pulled back to look up at him and noticed tears coming down his face. Munch had very rarely showed this much open emotion to anyone, even her. She gently whipped his tears away with her hand."I'm ok John." but when she couldn't meet his penetrating gaze he knew she was not. He kissed her forehead . The only thing missing was Elliot. As if reading her mind Munch asked. "Have you seen Elliot yet?" "No." "Well there's no time like the present . I'll take you there." "How's Kathy doing?" When she didn't get an immediate answer she new it was bad. "She's home but there have been problems. I'll fill you in on the way there."  
  
The drive to Queens didn't take long. Munch explained that Kathy had tried to commit suicide and had been acting very out of character since her return home from the hospital. By the time they pulled into the driveway Olivia wasn't so sure going there had been a good idea. As soon as they stepped onto the porch the front door flew open. Maureen came flying out of the house closely followed by her brother and sisters. "Daddy ! It's Olivia!" Lizzy cried . The children almost knocked Liv to the ground trying to hug her. Elliot appeared at the door with Kathy right behind him. "Liv?" Elliot looked about as bad as Olivia felt. Exhausted ,worn, broken. Kathy clung to him in a very territorial manner. Lizzy was trying to bring her inside but Liv could see it wasn't a good idea. "I can't stay honey. I have to go back to the station to make my statement." "Shouldn't you go to the hospital to be checked out?"Elliot asked concerned. "I've been already. I spent a week."Olivia said . "I was hospitalized for two weeks." Kathy stated. She seemed to be competing for Elliot's sympathy. Olivia couldn't stand there and watch Kathy's obvious manipulations. "I have to go." She looked at the kids. "I'll talk to you guys later ok?" Munch seemed to understand her need to leave and put a arm around her shoulders and walked her to the car. Olivia managed to keep her emotions in check until they were out of sight. Once they turned the corner she burst into tears. Munch pulled the car over and tried to comfort her as best as he could but even he knew he was a poor substitute. She really needed Elliot. And Elliot needed her too. Although he couldn't show it in front of his wife for fear she would have another breakdown. If Kathy hadn't been there he would have taken Olivia into his arms and never let her go. She had barley looked at him. The kids had gone back into the house with Kathy, leaving Elliot standing in the doorway watching Munch and Liv drive away.  
  
Olivia had finally finished her testimony. As she walked out of the grand jury room she looked around for Maureen, who had insisted on meeting her after court to take her to launch for a surprise. Instead of Elliot's daughter however she saw Elliot waiting for her. She was completely shocked they had only seen each other twice in the last six months and it had been extremely awkward. Mainly because of Kathy's mental deterioration. She had been in and out of the hospital now 6 or 7 times and he hadn't left her side. So what was he doing here now? She approached him cautiously. "Elliot? Is everything alright?" A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Has Maureen been in an accident! Is it Kathy!"  
"No. Nothing is right. As a matter of fact everything is very wrong." He saw the confusion in her eyes. "Can we go somewhere and talk." "I'd like that."  
  
Casey Novak watched them walk out of the court house together and smiled. Her happiness quickly faded however when she saw her boss Elizabeth Donnely walk towards her. I know what you did in there. And I'm going to recommend that your conduct be reviewed." Casey had enough "Well I recommend that you go fuck yourself!" and with that she walked out of the court house. Her smile bigger then ever. The only thing that would make it all perfect would be... Her phone rang and as she listened carefully she smiled. She hailed a cab. "The 16th precinct please." she had good news to spread.  
  
The next story in this series will be... Want and Need 


End file.
